Petroleum coke

Petroleum coke is a petroleum -derived solid fuel, like coal, the coke produced from substantially similar is made ​​of carbon.

Production

Starting material for the production of petroleum coke are very heavy oils, which occur for example in the vacuum distillation as a residue. Said bitumen is converted to a coker. A common method is the delayed coking. In cracking form in addition volatile hydrocarbons ( gas and diesel), which are separated, the coke as a solid. The crude form is called green coke and can be processed to the processing performed by calcining at high temperatures ( 1200 ° C) further. This existing oil components are still burned, the remaining calcine consists of almost pure carbon.

Use

Green coke still contains hydrocarbons and is used, inter alia, in the industrial heat producing fuel. Its use as a fuel because of its toxic elements (eg nickel or vanadium) controversial. Calcined petroleum coke is used inter alia as Elektrodenkoks in the aluminum industry and in the heat treatment of steel. In steel production, high vanadium and nickel contents are even desirable. For the electrode preparation, the calcine should have a very low metal content ( contamination of the aluminum ).